Isekai Tensei Soudouki - Volume 5 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – An Extraordinary First Battle

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Part 1

「……They are really careful even though they are only facing a viscount of a remote country.」

Baldr who heard the report of Haurelia army’s battle formation from his scout couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh.

He was unable to cut corners with Antrim’s defense because of this territory’s geopolitical destiny.

It would be an abandonment of duty as a statesman if he knew there was a danger yet he ignored it.

However the opponent would also on their guard and increased their force the more he hardened his territory’s defense. It was a dilemma that Baldr couldn’t solve.

He believed that he was able to protect the most important military secret just barely, but it was impossible to completely hide the general detail.

That was only natural after he carried out a large public works that hired thousands of workers.

「It’s said that danger and good opportunity are the opposite sides of the same coin. If their serious invasion gets foiled, then even Haurelia might give up quickly.」

「Such possibility certainly exist.」

Baldr nodded at the words of someone familiar who he had known since he was a little kid.

He had a body built of a stereotypical front line warrior with his wide girth and muscles covering his whole body that he looked stout.

He was trusted by Baldr’s father Ignis and there was also nothing to criticize about his many years of real battle experiences. His sharp gaze and composed bearing was enough to grant a sense of security to the youngsters like Baldr or Brooks who were lacking experience.

His name was Cyril──he was Seyruun’s father, a knight who had served Cornelius House for generations and also Baldr’s future father-in-law.

He should be a personnel that was essential for Cornelius territory’s defense, but it seemed he was dispatched in a hurry to Antrim based on nothing but Maggot’s instinct.

Because there wasn’t enough time to mobilize an army, he rushed here with only less than ten subordinates while spurring their horses fast. They arrived here just the other day.

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「Thank you for coming……but for some reason I cannot honestly feel happy about it.」

Baldr lamented like that when Agatha told him of Cyril’s arrival.

He was someone that Baldr desperately wanted in his force, but this also meant that Maggot had predicted that Antrim would become the center of the war.

When it came to war, Baldr couldn’t bring himself to doubt his mother’s instinct. He couldn’t help but feel slightly complicated.

「──Anyway, first we need to win a battle. I’m counting on you, Cyril.」

「Leave it to me. Aa, it’s also fine to call me father starting from now just in case the worst happen isn’t it?」

「NO WAY I’LL CALL YOU THAT RIGHT NOWWWWW!」

It seemed that even Cyril who was the very picture of stern and honest personality couldn’t keep his calm when it came to his daughter’s marriage.

「That’s too bad. Then I can’t allow myself to die no matter what until the wedding day.」

Cyril said that with a grin that showed his teeth.

Baldr finally noticed that Cyril was helping him relaxed as his elder. He scratched his head awkwardly.

He could also clearly feel that Brooks and Nelson and the others had let go of their tension after the exchange just now.

They too were nervous without realizing it themselves in front of the war that they would experience for the first time in their life.

「Sorry, you needed to take care of us like this.」

「No, your average nobles will have run away already since a long time ago. Our opponent right now isn’t an enemy that we can win against by fighting them head on.」

If Baldr planned to fight Haurelia army head-on, Cyril intended to recommend Baldr to escape even if he had to go against Baldr’s will.

It wasn’t like Ignis or Maggot had gave him that kind of order directly, but he was able to guarantee that those two didn’t have any intention to allow their son to die a dog’s death.

For Cyril, Baldr was his daughter’s husband, at the same time he was also the important heir of the house he served.

Although he also already understood from the start that Baldr fighting his enemy head-on was something that had no chance of happening.

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「General Flandre who is famous as a general who will take the field himself, three knight orders, and then further two brigades of militias. Their number in total is about 20000. Certainly, if we fight them head-on I have the self-confidence that we will be annihilated in five minutes.」

When he spoke it out loud like this, Baldr spontaneously laughed at how great the difference in battle strength between his side and the enemy.

Normally a difference of number that was more than ten times wasn’t something that could be overturned. The best that could be done is such situation was to hole up in a castle with strong defense.

In order to fight and win──or making the enemy gave up at the very least, they would need to inflict a damage that far surpassed the enemy’s expectation.

He had prepared the way to do that. What was left now was only to believe in that and fought.

What they needed the most right now was a conviction of certain victory that could conquer their anxiety. After all since time immemorial, there was no precedent of soldiers who felt like they couldn’t win ended up winning.

「Now then, let’s start a dishonest battle.」

The ghastly battle that would be called as 「Antrim’s Tragedy」 by future generation was going to open its curtain.

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Part 2

As expected, the first one who reported the approach of Haurelia army was the veteran mercenary Cell.

Other Antrim soldiers also went out as scout, but it seemed they weren’t a match against Cell who had instinct, experience, and body strengthening to improve his sight.

「……What’s more, for some reason they are placing their militias as the vanguard.」

Cell’s words allowed Baldr to confirm that Antrim’s defense had been seen through to some degree.

For the knight order that specialized in cavalry charge, Antrim’s defensive encampment had fatally bad compatibility with them. He should consider that the enemy had learned this.

「The vanguard is around 14000 troops that are centered around the militias that are split into two brigades. In addition, one knight order is sticking close to them as though to hide among the militias.」

Baldr guessed that unit was most likely the main force for the actual attack.

Actually this knight order was the Borodino’s Blue Dragon Knight Order. They had also borrowed magicians from the other knight orders and the number of their magician was twice the normal quota.

「Has the bridges at the south gotten burned?」

「All of them had been destroyed.」

The one who answered Baldr’s question was Nelson who returned back just now.

He led 200 soldiers with the mission to scout and intercept the combined army of Count Savoie and other nobles that invaded from the south.

Due to his mission where he had to accomplish holding back the enemy with just 200 soldiers, he had no choice but to destroy all the bridges along the border that could easily become invasion route.

Potomac River wasn’t a bit river, but it was a river with quite a lot of water volume. It was thought as impossible for soldiers to cross the river while wearing heavy equipment.

Currently Nelson was entrusted with almost all the cavalries of Antrim.

He already lost his relaxed attitude toward Baldr as his past schoolmate. Now they interacted with each other like a true commander and subordinate in battlefield.

「Send out scouts and take care to not miss them. Be careful so that they don’t learn our number before the battle.」

「By your will.」

Nelson bowed his head toward Baldr with a fearless smile, then he turned around and left the room to head where his unit was waiting.

「Now then, guess we will also go to meet the enemies.」

「They will surely cry in gratitude.」

Baldr’s eyes widened slightly at Brooks’s rare sarcasm and he laughed.

This guy, he is calmer than even me huh…….

「──I don’t understand anything difficult. I’ll just fight till the very end as a knight. I’ll leave the complicated things to you.」

「Really carefree aren’t you, this damn meathead!」

The two of them laughed loudly together.

A retainer who could trust his lord from the bottom of his heart without any hesitation, and a lord who worked out the plan with the full support of his retainer. That was how these two were acting.

「I have no intention to entrust my fate to god’s will. But, I have also already done everything I can as a mere human. I guess the only thing left to do now is to believe.」

「I always believe in you yeah, my lord.」

It was useless to worry at this late hour. The only thing left to do was to believe in their own strength and fight to the end.

The two of them felt refreshed after hardening their resolve and started walking with a manly expression.

When they exited the camp, around 800 regular soldiers of Antrim that Cyril had gathered were impatiently waiting for their order.

Among them, there were only around a hundred people who had been permanently stationed in Antrim since the beginning.

After all with the economic strength of the past Antrim, it was impossible to maintain the military force here except for a few hundred soldiers.

Half of the rest of them were soldiers that Baldr gathered from other territories by using money lavishly, while the remaining half were the children of Antrim territory’s peasant or merchant who voluntarily applied to become soldier after seeing that hope was finally starting to appear in their birthplace and they felt that they had to protect it.

Their birthplace was precious for them, like a Shangri-la of their soul that they didn’t wish for anyone to trample as they pleased.

However that birthplace of theirs was poor. It was bordered with an enemy country that had invaded many times to burn their house and field while pointing spear to their women and children.

Even when they were finally able to obtain a normal livelihood back, they were always living in suspense of when the enemy would come again to unreasonably plunder everything.

──However now was different.

Since Baldr arrived, Antrim was accomplishing a remarkable growth.

Many new residents were coming, there was no lack of work, their salary also increased, and even the products lined up at the stores were increasing in variety.

Depending on the situation, there were even some people who could save up money and became able to have an achievable dream like going to the capital and achieving success there.

Seeing their family harboring such dream, it was only natural that some people decided to offer their life in order to protect that.

There was no way the morale of soldiers who had something precious to protect would be low.

What Baldr obtained was most likely a troops with the highest morale in Mauricia Kingdom.

「──Soldiers, his excellency the viscount is present! Attention!」

With a single order from Cyril, the soldiers’ gazes were gathered on Baldr with smooth movements.

Their perfectly coordinated conduct was also the proof of how much training they had endured until now.

The height of the soldiers’ proficiency even shocked Cyril who had been in charge for many years of Cornelius’s troops that were famous for their strength. This result could be brought about only because of the height of Antrim’s morale.

Their everything was for the sake of their family and for the lord who brought future for their family──.

「Gentlemen, Haurelia army will soon arrive here. Their number is 20000, more than ten times our number.

The number 20000 that Baldr spoke caused groans and agitations to spread among the troops.

Although they were resolved, hearing the concrete number gave them a cold dose of how cruel the reality once more.

「In contrast our army numbered 1300. However there is nothing to fear. We will be the one who win.」

Yes, winning wouldn’t be difficult by all means.

「There is no way we will lose for the sake of the people who we should protect. Close your eyes right now and imagine the existence that you wish to protect. What is it that you have to protect no matter what? We exist here for their sake.」

The soldiers all nodded together by chance. After all they took spear in hand exactly for the sake of that.

「Surely the enemies also have their own family. They have their own comrades. They have their own lord that they should devote themselves to. However they are the invaders who want to plunder Antrim. That is the single unshakable fact. They have to be defeated no matter what. They have to be killed no matter what. This is the inevitable retribution for them.」

For human to kill other human, they needed determination in no small amount.

No matter how high their morale and capability were, half of Antrim army were new recruits who had no experience of killing human.

It was absolutely necessary to unshackle their heart.

「Don’t forget. The futures of many people are hanging on the tip of your spears. I order all of you gentlemen as the lord who is entrusted with Antrim. Kill without hesitation. Kill the enemies like killing harmful beast that attack the livestock. Kill them like an annoying fly that buzz around you at the summer. I will shoulder all responsibility as the one who gave all of you the order.」

In a proper battle, in a normal war that used spear and magic to fight, the casualties percentage wouldn’t be that high.

Even at the Warring States period where Sanai lived in, half of the dead were produced at the stage when the victor had been decided and the defeated side was pursued. The death percentage from the battle itself was only several percent.

But this battle would be different.

Baldr and his staff officers were aware that this battle would undoubtedly become a scene of massive massacre that had never happened in the history of this continent.

「Don’t leave your name behind as a dead hero. Kill your enemy in order to keep living vulgarly for the sake of your beloved one. I believe that all of you gentlemen are hero no matter what anyone else say.」

History might write of Antrim army in dishonor as genocider.

However Baldr should be the one who shouldered that stigma. He swore it.

Such stigma shouldn’t be shouldered by the militias who took up weapon for the sake of protecting their home.

「Now is the time for us to fire the beacon of war. All of you loyal and brave soldiers, hold your head high. If you surrender yourself to war for just this moment──it actually won’t really feel that unpleasant.」

In the battlefield, the price of life was like the price of apples in the market that got discounted because they were starting to rot. What was the worth of sanity in such place?

It was those soldiers who silently turned mad while still keeping possession of their composed judgment that was the strongest existence in the battlefield.

Sanai was aware of that from his experience.

In the first place, feeling that there was worth of living in the situation of killed and getting killed and even feeling pride from it wasn’t something that could exist from a normal situation.

「Soldiers, repeat after me!」

「Soldiers, repeat after me!」

「From now on we shall give our whole being to war!」

「From now on we shall give our whole being to war!」

The soldiers loudly recited Cyril’s words with earth-splitting volume. The agitation and fear from before had gone.

War didn’t only contain fear and despair, it also had terribly alluring longing toward life and victory. That was exactly why human couldn’t distant themselves from war from time eternal.

The karma of human was very foolish……and yet very beautiful.

Battle was terrifyingly cruel and mercilessly atrocious, and yet it was──fun.

「Very good. We are a small boat going down the raging stream of war. Surrender shall not be allowed anymore until we arrive at the ocean.」

「Victory for Antrim!」

The soldiers yelled in delight without Cyril even needing to urge them.

「Victory for Antrim!!」

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Part 3

The defensive encampment of Antrim that came into their view looked even more troublesome than they imagined.

Haurelia army was in an overwhelming advantage when it came to number, but the encampment had been ingeniously constructed so that the battle fronts were extremely limited and they wouldn’t be able to make use of their advantage in number. There was no other word to describe this other than magnificent.

「It seems there is a master of battlefield construction among the enemies……」

Borodino along with his vice commander Maurice glared at Antrim’s encampment.

Even so there was no way they couldn’t stop with simply praising the enemy. After all Borodino volunteered to be at the vanguard for the sake of fighting and obtaining achievements.

「Calm and steady wins the race. We can only make use of our advantage in number.」

The number of magician under Borodino’s command was 800.

Borodino’s plan was to gather 70% of the whole army’s magicians to neutralize the enemy’s defensive encampment.

If the militias could destroy and break through the barbed wires under the cover fire of magic, they could let the power of number take care of the rest.

If there was something that was a concern, it was that an enemy who was able to construct such splendid defensive encampment couldn’t possibly neglect to prepare for such an occasion…….

「It’s useless to keep pondering like this. Let’s go, Maurice.」

「Yes, let’s go. Don’t worry, with this kind of clever trick, many times it had been proven that it’s actually not that useful in real battle.」

Certainly when a completely new tactic or an overly complicated tactic was proposed, often it would be proven that in real battle, such tactic was actually useless because they were unable to deal with the unexpected situations that cropped up.

But Borodino couldn’t imagine that such thing would apply to the enemy before their eyes.

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Part 4

「Troops, advance!」

The large army was covering the area like fog. They advanced through Kareem Plain at the eastern part of Antrim.

The two militia brigades numbered around 14000. It was a huge army that the people who were born and raised at the countryside of Antrim couldn’t even imagine.

「Prepare to fire magic support──fire-!」

Countless fire balls were launched at the same time with the given order.

「Magic Cancel!」

Magic cancels were fired from Antrim’s encampment, but in front of the overwhelming number of magic from Haurelia, they could only erase around 30% of the fire balls.

Before long the fire balls landed with loud explosion. Cloud of dust and heat wave rained down on the soldiers who curled down at Antrim’s encampment.

「HOOOOOOTT! IT’S HOOOOTT–!」

Carlyle who became 18 years old this year and came from the southern part of Antrim was accidentally showered with sparks that flew at his neck. He screamed in agony.

「Brat, calm down. Your life won’t be in danger if you duck and put a coat on there to put out the fire.」

A veteran soldier who was in the same trench, Salil Baren barked at Carlyle and held down his head. He would only become a nice target if he carelessly stood up.

「Magic’s firing line is mostly a straight line, so they won’t hit as long as you stay inside here. Calm down and prepare. The enemies will come once the first wave of the covering fire has finished.」

Salil’s voice sounded no different at all than how he usually was. That composure made Carlyle forgot his pain and looked at Salil with respect.

There were several times in a man’s life where he had to display his courage, but there were few men who could display their courage when death was near like this.

「Salil-san, you’re amazing.」

「Even you will get used to it after going through this kind of thing several times. But in order to achieve that, first you have to survive no matter how unseemly it is. But kill the enemies as many as possible. If not it will be our allies who die in their place.」

「Yes-!」

Carlyle obediently assented with a smile. Salil felt an invisible poison permeating his lung after seeing such innocence.

(I hope I can keep this brat alive somehow……)

Salil had heard that Carlyle had parents and two big sisters. One of those sisters would marry soon.

This young man was filled with a pure sense of duty to protect his family and homeland.

He was a stereotypical naïve and loyal volunteer soldier, but Salil was familiar from experience that this kind of youth would be the one who died the earliest.

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Haurelia’s militias started their work to remove the barbed wires and palisades. They were flummoxed by how difficult such work was.

Even though they could destroy the palisades, removing barbed wires without using specialized tools for it was extremely difficult. In addition they were in a battlefield, so it would only be natural that their work progressed very slowly.

In the first place the atmosphere of battlefield was unique. Few people had the mental strength to be able to continue doing removal work properly in such situation.

That was exactly the reason why specialized army branch like combat engineer existed, but the organization of Haurelia army was weak in such aspect. They were focused on using human wave tactic.

「Uguh……」

Another militia was taken down by a crossbow shot.

The damage to Haurelia army was enlarged due to attacks from the trenches. They were unable to make use of their advantage of number even now.

「What the hell-! The magic attack support isn’t useful at all!」

That’s right.

Antrim troops that were holing up in trenches or behind a protective wall were mostly unharmed even when they were under the magic attacks that were only fierce in appearance.

Most powerful magic had straightforward firing line. Magic with high-angle fire like mortar was still unknown. While magic like Explosion that could suppress wide area had short range, so they would need to get even closer if they wanted to use such magic.

「This is bad……」

Borodino didn’t expect that cover fire from magic would be this ineffective. His expression was clouded and he was grinding his teeth.

Of course he was convinced that his side’s victory was unshakable. If they could continue dismantling the defensive encampment like this, it would only be a problem of time until Antrim army collapsed.

However his pride as a commander couldn’t allow a situation where the damage to his troops was several times the enemy.

In the end the occupation of Antrim would be nothing more than a prelude in the war against Mauricia Kingdom. The war would become even harsher from here on, so they should take care to limit the damage to their side as much as possible.

「Stop the dismantling work for a moment and send the magician unit to the front. Be careful against surprise attack from the enemy.」

The magician unit started advancing with heavy armored infantries acting as their shield.

They advanced in order to use explosion magic that could rain down wind blast and heat wave from midair explosion to mow down Antrim troops that were holing up in the trenches.

「Tsk! Don’t let the magicians get near! Shoot! Shoot!」

Salil guessed the enemy’s plan and put his strength into his hand that was nocking the arrow.

Crossbow was a powerful weapon that could easily pierce armor, but it was unable to rapid fire.

In earth’s history, at the Battle of Agincourt, England compensated for this problem by using a lot of longbow, but Antrim army had nobody who could skillfully use longbow.

「Carlyle, don’t lose your head. First calm down and aim carefully. Just focus on not missing your shot.」

「Y-yeess!」

Carlyle was clearly at his wits’ end. Seeing him like that calmed down Salil instead.

「Aim at the legs of the soldiers with shield who are acting as wall. You can’t pierce their torso or head with arrow.」

「Understood!」

That’s right. He couldn’t allow this youngster to die.

If he could just calmly defeat the enemy with certainty without any other obstructive thought in his mind──that young feudal lord would think up a dirty trick to take care of this situation for them!

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Inside the command post where it was possible to grasp the battlefront in its entirety──a pillbox that was protected by concrete, there was Brooks laughing fiercely.

「Of course you guys will come like that. After all you guys will win this unscathed if you can suppress the enemies one-sidedly using magician, so there is no way you won’t use this tactic.」

Brooks had seen through the intention of Haurelia army that wanted to lessen the risk to their troops as much as possible.

「The catapults are prepared to fire!」 (TN: Sorry to everyone, I mistranslated at the previous chapter. It should be catapults instead of ballista that are set up at the defensive encampment.)

「The target is the enemy’s magician unit, fire!」

Round balls were shot one after another in parabola trajectories.

To fire the balls, they used completely normal catapults that didn’t have any modification done to them. Originally they should be used to shoot rocks at a castle where enemies were holing up.

Haurelia army didn’t prepare any for the battle this time because they had advantage in number and prioritized the army’s advancing speed, but that wasn’t really an unusual choice.

「What are they thinking? What’s use is there in launching one or two rocks at this point……」

After Borodino said that,

The flying balls exploded with explosive sounds that tore the air.

It seemed the explosion wasn’t that powerful. The number of the death was few, but many of his important magicians were wounded.

「N-no good! Withdraw the magicians! Don’t let them harmed even more than this!」

Borodino gave the order in panic.

He couldn’t lose this trump card, the magician unit because of this kind of unknown attack.

Around the same time, Brooks who was watching the result of the attack also frowned because the damage to the enemy was less than expected.

「As expected, it’s difficult to set the timing with the fuse……」

To develop a fuse, a moderately modern manufacturing industry was necessary.

The best Baldr was able to do at present time was shooting high-explosive projectile made from gunpowder and fuse with catapult.

Because of that they couldn’t use this weapon perfectly because sometimes the explosive would explosive midair or even when it landed on the ground, often it wouldn’t explode.

「Even so──」

From the standpoint of Haurelia, they wouldn’t be able to avoid the situation from gradually getting worse with the magicians withdrawn.

Even though it was ineffective, the magician unit’s covering fire──their act of hindering the enemy troops using explosion and the like was also mentally supporting their ally. Such mental support effect couldn’t be underestimated.

Losing that was making the dismantling work to slow down even more.

Either way, Haurelia army being able to conveniently occupy Antrim in a short time with little damage was now nothing more than a pipe dream.

For Antrim army that wanted to buy time until reinforcement arrived, it would be greatly advantageous the more Haurelia army’s commander was reluctant to allow the damage to his army to accumulate further.

「What are you guys going to do next? I’ll see you guys off if you want to go home after this.」

Although he was saying that, Brooks was aware that Haurelia army wasn’t even considering retreat as an option.

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「What was that explosion──?」

The great general Flandre who was watching the frontline from the rear reflexively stood up from his chair in surprise.

Fundamentally, Haurelia army was overwhelming Antrim army in quality and quantity of troops. He considered that the only problem was Antrim army’s defense.

Of course he also considered Antrim army attacking back as a form of defense, but it was impossible for him to consider that Antrim army would also attack using such powerful attack magic (at this point Flandre judged that the explosion was an attack magic from Antrim’s magicians).

「What happened just now might be the enemy playing their trump card.」

The commander of Black Dragon Knight Order, Lannes was monologuing while snorting in displeasure.

There was no change in his expression, but anyone who knew him would realize that Lannes was anxious right now that thing would become extremely troublesome.

In fact the number of casualties at the frontline had already reached a level that couldn’t be sneezed at. That sacrifice would become completely pointless if they temporarily withdrew here to rally themselves.

「──The enemy’s attack isn’t magic! It’s unknown what it actually is, but it came from a burning ball that was shot from catapult!」

The words from a messenger made Flandre hit the table in irritation.

Flandre felt that the situation had apparently turned into the worst possible situation.

If the attack wasn’t magic, that meant it couldn’t be cancelled using Magic Cancel.

Which meant they didn’t have the method to defend against that explosion.

In that case──.

「Send all the magicians from the knight orders of Black Dragon and White Dragon as well as the magicians from the whole camp to the frontline. Rain down magic attack on them without stopping. Don’t think of the consequence later, just don’t allow the enemies to raise up their head!」

Flandre discarded the thinking of saving his force for later.

In order to reduce the number of casualties, they should attack the enemies with their full force without thinking of the consequences later.

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The intensity of magic attacks from magicians had increased even further.

Dust clouds were rising thickly. The return fire from Antrim army was also losing accuracy. Although Haurelia army was still receiving damage, they were managing to push back the frontline with certainty.

「Shit-! We can’t even raise our head like this!」

Salil cursed. He couldn’t even aim properly and fired his crossbow using only instinct.

Even so he managed to accurately capture the direction where there was enemy. As expected from a veteran soldier.

「How long this is going to continue……buwahh!」

Carlyle choked because a magic landed nearby when he opened his mouth and a lot of sand entered inside.

Salil stared at Carlyle in exasperation and laughed.

「I can forget how serious our situation is when looking at you brat.」

「Cough! Cough! You’re horrible, Salil-san……」

Salil received a reloaded crossbow from Carlyle and fired it with his instinct again.

Salil ended up firing Carlyle’s crossbow too right after it became impossible to raise their head and aimed.

Even if the inexperienced Carlyle fired at this situation, he wouldn’t be able to hit anything.

(This situation might be a bit dangerous……)

When the mysterious object that was fired from the catapult dealt a large blow at the enemy magicians, he thought that they might be able to push back the enemies at this rate, but it seemed it only made Haurelia army got serious instead.

Because of the intense support fire from Haurelia army’s magicians, the damage their side could deal to the enemy infantries at the frontline was reduced to half.

What’s more the other side won in number. It wouldn’t be strange even if the enemy made a move at the frontline soon.

Antrim army was barely able to protect the defensive encampment including the barbed wires, but if they lost that reliable protective wall, there was no doubt that they would be trampled under the enemy’s number.

「First battalion of Haurelia Kingdom army’s seventh brigade! Raise your speaaar! Thirty steps dash! Advance!」

Just as he thought.

Salil shook his head gloomily when he heard the enemy’s voice.

It seemed a part of Haurelia army succeeded in breaking through the defense line at the front.

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「Looks like we win.」

Borodino talked to himself when he saw one of his subordinate squad succeeded in prying open the enemy’s defensive line.

Dismantling work was carried out behind the saturation attack that was rained down at the enemies without taking consideration of the mana consumption rate. Although their ally also received bigger damage than expected from it, it was still within the permissible range somewhat.

That defensive encampment couldn’t be underestimated, but it wasn’t like the enemies were holing up in a castle. It was impossible for them to overturn this difference in number. Borodino was thinking like that, but trench wasn’t something that lenient.

The attackers weren’t able to catch sight of the defenders was already a good enough defensive effect. And the risk of being stabbed from below when trying to climb over the retaining wall was very threatening in close quarter combat.

However, what Antrim army was counting on wasn’t the defensive effect of the trenches, they had another trump card.

「……Not yet. Lure them closer for ten more steps.」

Brooks was talking quietly toward his vice commander.

The vice commander returned a gaze of admiration at how composed Brooks was.

Since the last war, there were a lot of military personnel that hadn’t experienced a real military action. And yet even though Brooks was included in such category, his commanding ability really stood out. His command really didn’t seem like the command of a young man.

「This isn’t anything at all compared to the carnage that my best friend has survived. I want to be useful to that guy.」

His friend had become his lord right now, but the adoration that he had felt to Baldr since they first met had grown even stronger instead along with the passage of time.

That was especially the case after he witnessed the harsh training from Maggot that was completely devoid of sanity.

Unimaginable courage was necessary in order to stand up against an opponent that one knew was absolutely impossible to win against.

He wouldn’t have any face to meet with his best friend who was enduring far greater pressure than him if he was feeling scared from merely facing a battle where he had enough prospect of victory.

「Look! They are just cowards who don’t dare to show their face from their hole. Trample them and then return back in triumph with their head hanging from your spearhead! Chargeeee!」

「UOOOOOOOOOOOOH!」

The men who were hungry for the honor to be the first one to kill an enemy roared and began charging toward the trench encampment of Antrim.

「Back them up! Fire, fire, fire, don’t stop firing!」

Haurelia’s magician unit also decided that this was the critical time and rained down a barrage of magic while chasing behind the heavily armored infantries.

Carlyle couldn’t endure anymore and his whole body was trembling within the storm of hellfire that made him felt like the area had been turned into purgatory.

「U, uwaa……the enemies, the enemies are……」

「Put your strength into your stomach and raise your spear! Don’t aim at the chest. Aim at the face, or if possible at the throat. Spear is weak against chain mail after all.」

Salil switched weapon from crossbow to spear. He punched Carlyle’s stomach while holding back.

「Uguh」

Carlyle got trouble breathing. At the same time he finally recovered his composure.

「S-sorry……Salil-san……」

「It’s fine. I can’t possibly push back that number with myself alone.」

Although their number still wasn’t enough at all even with Carlyle helping. But Salil didn’t say it.

It was still too early to feel despair. It wouldn’t be too late to regret in the battlefield after they died.

「There is no way that lord is going to just sit still doing nothing like this. Let’s go all out and survive this!」

「Yes-!」

At the very least they weren’t so weak that they would be done in helplessly.

It wasn’t that difficult to hold out until their allies played their hand, Salil thought. He put his strength into his hands that were holding the spear.

.

「──They’re in range.」

Brooks’s right hand was slowly raised up, and then it was swung down.

「Begin firing.」

「Begin firing!」

At the same time when the order was repeated, cylinder shaped flame flew out with fierce momentum from the tip of a thick nozzle.

The flamethrower’s only weakness was its short range, but it was enough to strike Haurelia soldiers that were rushing to Antrim encampment.

「GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

Dozens of soldiers were immediately enveloped in flame. They were turned into torch alive.

However the merciless flame wasn’t satisfied yet by that victim. It also headed toward the magicians behind the infantries who were shielding them.

「HIIIIIIIIH! Cancel! Magic Cancel!」

「No, no good! It won’t vanish……!」

「Why!? There is no way something like this isn’t magic……!」

That sight was like a nightmare.

The flame was sticky and spreading further. No matter how much the victim rolled around on the ground, no matter how hard their comrades hit them with mantel, the flame showed no sign of vanishing at all.

The flame’s temperature was higher than normal flame. Each time it spread to other person, it would undoubtedly lead that person to death.

「Water Ball!」

There were magicians who instantly tried to extinguish the flame with magic, but the moment the water touched the flame, it was like the flame was licking the surface of the water and spread further, turning the caster into a pillar of flame too.

「Impossible……something like this is impossible……!」

The magicians’ expressions distorted in despair.

Because if water couldn’t extinguish the flame, it meant that it was effectively impossible to neutralize this flame in this battlefield.

「Retreat! RETREAT IN FULL SPEEEDDD!」

One of the commanders yelled his voice raw, but that decision came a step too late.

「──You won’t get away.」

This was why Brooks lured the enemies as close as possible.

The sizzling sound of scorching meat and its bad odor that made the urge to vomit welled up were spreading through the area. Even so Brooks ordered to continue the firing of the flamethrower in order to mow down the enemies within the firing range.

The fate of the infantries who were at the forefront when they approached was horrible.

Those who got their whole body burned and died instantly still had it good.

Those who only got a part of their body burned until that part was carbonized due to the high heat became unable to move anymore. They continued to yell for help while being unable to die.

「Help me! I don’t want to die!」

「Water……give me water.」

「Aaaaa! My legs! MY LEEEEGGS!」

Their figures that invited pity were also no different from lambs to the slaughter.

「If their friends come to save them, burn them too.」

Brooks ordered coldly without showing even a shred of mercy.

Brooks hadn’t forgotten that Antrim army was still laughably in disadvantage when it came to number. They had to reduce the enemy’s number as much as possible while they could.

.

The magicians lost the infantries that were their shield and ran away while exposing their defenseless back. Multiple silhouettes started running in pursuit.

「Oi oi, don’t go home so quickly after coming this far already.」

The true identity of those silhouettes were Nelson and his men who had returned from their scouting duty. They were elite knights who specialized in body strengthening.

Haurelia’s magicians were also affiliated with the knight orders. They were quite proficient with close range battle, but it wasn’t their actual field. On top of that their heart was broken after facing the flamethrower.

Magicians who were focused in running away weren’t the match of Nelson and his men.

「GYAAAH!」

「Hurry……hurry and protect us……!」

The infantries who should be protecting them were already swallowed in flame and silenced.

They could finally see new infantries heading their way to reinforce them, but those infantries were slightly too late to save their lives.

「──Sorry but it will be a bother if you guys return alive.」

A magician looked up in astonishment at the blade that was mercilessly swung down toward him. He looked disbelieving even in death.

.

Borodino quickly recovered from the shock of the tragedy before his eyes, but he had limited options that he could take.

Approaching that mysterious flame was out of the question.

Magic Cancel didn’t work against it, so it must be some kind of oil or something, similar like the explosive thing before this.

On the other hand, he also didn’t have any force that could swiftly rescue the magicians.

The reserve troops were under the direct command of General Flandre. The troops that Borodino could currently move were only the surviving soldiers from the militia brigade that was still continuing their dismantling work.

However those militias originally weren’t soldier. After they saw their comrades being burned alive by flame, Borodino couldn’t help but judging that it would be impossible to ask them to keep up their morale and react swiftly.

「Request for reinforcement from his excellency Flandre.」

「Sir!」

A young soldier who acted as messenger rushed full speed to the camp.

However Borodino was aware that a tactician at Flandre’s level wouldn’t simply remain a spectator until the messenger arrived.

There was no doubt that the reserve troops were already starting to mobilize in order to support the retreat of the vanguard.

「──What a sorry state.」

Even though he was given the honor of being the vanguard, his troops were thoroughly beaten up like this by overwhelmingly fewer enemies. He asked himself if he was actually a total incompetent.

There was a ground for pity to him because Antrim’s tactics and weapons were too far removed from his side’s assumption. However he was wholeheartedly aware of how useless such pity was after witnessing the aftermath of his father’s defeat.

It was clear that a stain that couldn’t possibly be removed had been stamped on Borodino’s military service record.

Even though this chance to clear the dishonor on his dead father’s name and grasped honor once more would never come again…….

A drip of blood flowed from the lip that he was biting. It flowed along his chin and fell on the ground.

It was at this timing Borodino caught sight of Nelson’s group rushing out from Antrim’s encampment like an arrow and reaped the lives of the fleeing magicians.

「Don’t think that everything is going to go as you bastards expected!」

He understood the enemy’s plan. They wanted to reduce his troops’ number as many as possible using this chance. And above all else, magicians were an irreplaceable fang of Haurelia army.

It made Borodino confirmed the fact that even now Antrim army’s strength was inferior to them.

「Maurice, I’m also going out.」

「──I’ll accompany you.」

Borodino dashed out accompanied with his long time confidant and his elite subordinates.

Borodino laughed. He felt like his desire for glory and success, all the filths of earthly life that he couldn’t shake off from his life until now had fallen off from him.

This mentality of a foot soldier that he had forgotten without even noticing felt pleasant.

Borodino who transformed into a mere sword demon rushed like a flash at the back of Nelson who was slaughtering the magicians.

「Damn i──」

「Too slow」

Nelson twisted his body desperately in order to avoid fatal wound. Borodino’s full powered strike struck at his back.

However, at that instant when his blade was going to pierce into Nelson’s back, a spear tip suddenly appeared and thrust at the flat of his blade, diverting its trajectory.

「You bastard──!」

「I won’t give you my subordinate’s life that easily.」

Standing there was the figure of Baldr Antrim Cornelius who had pushed aside Cyril’s argument and appeared here with a display of godspeed that he inherited from the Silver Light.

.

At earth, it wasn’t that rare for the army commander to lead from the front in the battlefield before the modern times where a lot of guns were used.

Ujisato Gamou who Sanai served was also one of the commanders who lead from the front.

When Ujisato was recruiting a military commander to be his subordinate, he would say this to them, 「This clan has a great general who wear this silver catfish tail helm and lead at the forefront. Perform a work that won’t lose to that general」, but this general was actually referring to Ujisato himself.

Also, the most effective method to raise the ally’s morale and decrease the enemy’s morale was for the commander to take down the enemy commander. It was a common sense for Sanai who survived the Warring States period.

Baldr felt the quietly raging emotion of Sanai in his heart while instinctually rushing out as soon as he saw Borodino.

「Good grief, please don’t lose at any cost.」

「Yeah, sorry but please take care of that side.」

Cyril who was serving as Baldr’s vice commander was objecting that the commander was personally appearing at the frontline, but he was also aware that he wasn’t a match against Borodino.

Most likely Baldr was the only one in Antrim who was able to oppose Borodino. Even Brooks or Zirco would find it hard to win against him.

Cyril turned toward Maurice who was standing by to aid Borodino and spoke.

「Now then, how about we vice commanders fight between ourselves.」

Cyril held back Maurice without letting his guard down. He would at least not allow this person to assist the enemy commander.

At the same time Nelson who was wordlessly urged by Baldr gathered his troops and resumed his pursuit of the magicians.

「──You’re really harsh despite your age huh.」

「Please think of my bad personality as the fault of the adults around me.」

For a moment, Borodino was driven with the desire to chase after Nelso, but he immediately discarded it.

Even if he did that, he would only allow Baldr to move freely. Nothing would change if Baldr simply took command in Nelson’s place.

Rather than that, the battle situation would be overturned instantly if he was able to defeat Baldr.

Borodino naturally decided that he should make use of this good opportunity fully.

「Don’t look down on the rank of Haurelia Kingdom’s knight order commander.」

Borodino could advance until the rank of knight order commander was of course because his ability as a high grade commanding officer was valued highly.

However his name was well known among Haurelia Kingdom’s military wasn’t because he was the son of Soyuz and also wasn’t because of his tactical ability as a commander.

The knights at Haurelia held a match of mock battles──a tournament once a year. Borodino boasted a personal record of being undefeated for ten years in that tournament. That was the reason why he was the most famous knight in Haurelia.

「I don’t have the slightest intention to hold back from the very beginning.」

For Baldr, his duel against Borodino was nothing more than a single scene of this war.

The overwhelming difference of strength with Haurelia Kingdom’s army wouldn’t be reduced by much even if he won here.

When he thought of the struggle to the death that would continue after this, a battle like this was something trivial.

Borodino moved first.

He let out a simple thrust without a single pretense in it. But the functional beauty from that movement without a single waste in it would make anyone significant who saw it to be wide eyed.

However Baldr who had endured Maggot’s godspeed consecutive thrusts evaded that attack in a hair’s breadth.

At the same time Baldr stepped forward, rotated his spear, and struck at Borodino’s side.

Borodino jumped to the air lightly like a feather despite wearing armor all over his body. Baldr’s attack that was fully using his centrifugal force looked like it was impossible to block, but Borodino dodged it by somersaulting backward.

「──As expected, you aren’t the son of Silver Light Maggot for nothing.」

Borodino laughed fearlessly.

Baldr’s skill was certainly amazing.

Baldr might become the number one knight in the whole continent at the future with the training that he received from Maggot and the experience he accumulated.

However that was still ten years in the future.

From the attack just now, Borodino had seen through that Baldr was inferior to him in pure strength. However──.

「Sorry to say this, but you are several levels weaker than my mother.」

Borodino was taken aback by Baldr’s unexpected reply and he was greatly enraged that he even forgot himself.

After all those weren’t words that someone weaker than him could say to him.

「I see. So my skill cannot rival Silver Light-dono. However you should say that only after your own skill can rival me!」

Sometimes provocation would become a weapon that was sharper than anything. Baldr intentionally spoke something provocative because he had felt that Borodino’s strength was the real thing.

Although his words that Borodino’s skill was several levels below Maggot was an undeniable truth.

Baldr was immediately forced into a one-sided defensive battle in front of Borodino’s fierce attacks that were like a surging wave.

At this time Borodino was already able to see the path this battle would take.

An advanced battle of warrior was just like a chess problem. It was a battle that could be constructed theoretically.

One could hypothesized various situations, limited the opponent’s counterattack, broke the opponent’s balance, robbed their stamina, cut off the path to escape, and then drove the opponent to a corner that was impossible to escape from at the end.

Such thing was possible with the difference in strength between Borodino and Baldr.

「Curse your own inexperience. You have run out of luck the moment you stood on my way alone without knowing your own place!」

Baldr’s body was blown far backward because he blocked Borodino’s attack head on. Borodino put strength into his reinforced legs in order to land the decisive blow there.

Baldr was blown away with his feet leaving the ground. He wouldn’t be able to brace himself to block the next attack.

(This is, checkmate!)

Borodino unleashed his full power attack as though to slam himself on Baldr’s body. Or, that was how it should be.

「Wha-……!?」

There was a sudden change.

His body that should be kicking on the ground powerfully to break into a dash was pitching forward uncontrollably. The balance of his lower body that should have been explosively strengthened with magic was crumbling.

Baradino wriggled as though to swim in water.

He couldn’t comprehend what was going on to him at all.

「Sorry. It was because it looked like I won’t be able to defeat you without using trick.」

Ahead of Borodino’s gaze was Baldr who was already fixing his stance while frowning apologetically.

(I’m not going to die this kind of incomprehensible death-!)

Borodino desperately mustered all his strength to at least dodge a fatal attack, but his feet that were the essential part of his balance were only moving uselessly.

Here Borodino finally noticed what had been done to him.

Often human would lose the focus to their defense when they concentrated in attacking.

For example like in boxing, when a boxer got hit with a counter and easily lost due to a ten count KO, a mind that was focused into a single thing would easily overlook other information.

Baldr applied some kind of magic to the ground at the moment Borodino focused to deal the finishing blow.

If Baldr used obviously visible attack like fire ball or ice spear, Borodino would be able to react. But Borodino overlooked the magic’s activation because Baldr’s magic was chantless and not noticeable at all from outsider’s perspective.

In the first place, it was surprising that Baldr was calmly weighing the timing for the magic activation in the middle of such cornered situation. The young man who he thought as weaker than him was a terrifyingly determined fighter who was hiding a lethal poisonous fang.

He could see Baldr swinging down his spear toward his neck in slow motion.

(Damn it. How can us parent and son are both defeated by the same parent and son──)

As long as he could get through this alive, there was no way he would lose after seeing through the secret of the trick…….

His body was irritatingly refusing to move like he wanted it.

Baldr’s spear was already approaching until right beside his neck.

Even so Borodino didn’t give up until the end. His logical mind understood that it was pointless but, stopping to resist meant that he was denying the way his father lived and his own life.

(Just a little bit is fine! O god! Give me your divine protection!)

Borodino’s consciousness was painted with darkness together with a scorching hot pain that severed his carotid artery, and he stopped moving for eternity.

.

From the perspective of outsider, it was a happening that happened in an instant.

Right after Maurice thought that his lord had won, his lord got tripped by something and pitched forward as though he was offering his own neck to the enemy. He stiffened seeing that.

「Young master-!」

Maurice had served the previous house head Soyus and continued to serve the next generation. He had watched over Borodino’s growth until now.

He knew better than everyone that there was no way in hell that Borodino would make such fatal mistake.

What──what happened just now?

He had to go help. He had to save the young master──Borodino.

「I won’t let you pass. Your fight is also over with this.」

Cyril stabbed the defenseless back that Maurice exposed.

Maurice didn’t even glance at the spear tip that was poking out from his stomach. He rushed toward Borodino who had already expired.

「Young master……I’m coming……」

He couldn’t continue his words.

The loyal vice commander’s body lied on top of his lord’s body. He followed him even to the afterlife.

.

「Fuu……that was dangerous.」

Baldr looked down at the corpse of Borodino who was far tougher than he expected. He wiped the sweat on his forehead.

Borodino was completely his better in regard to martial prowess. Baldr might be the one defeated if Borodino noticed the magic by some chance.

「……As I thought, this magic’s effect isn’t a joke as long as I don’t mistake the timing to use it.」

The magic that Baldr used was a magic that turned the ground’s friction coefficient to zero.

The magic completely lacked showiness, but the effect could be seen just now. The more skilled someone was in body strengthening, the greater the effect of this trap.

It was Baldr’s secret trump card that he invented for fighting Maggot.

.

Part 5

Nelson’s pursuit and the defeat of the commander Borodino pushed the soldiers at the vanguard into great pandemonium.

The battlefield was turned into a hellish scene. Haurelia’s soldiers were losing their lives almost one-sidedly.

However Flandre wasn’t an incompetent who was just watching this without doing anything.

He invested his reserve force at the early stage and backed up the frontline soldiers who were retreating, forcing Nelson to give up the pursuit of the magicians.

Although Haurelia army had received a harsh blow, they were still in possession of a number that was more than ten times of Antrim army. Rather than doing nothing and losing their grasp to victory, they should continue the offense no matter how much damage they would receive.

Flandre decided to launch an all-out attack as befitting his reputation as a daring combat general.

.

The mission that was imposed to Haurelia army was to achieve certain victory.

First they needed to win the battle before their eye rather than worrying about their damage.

If Haurelia army was defeated by a small territory like Antrim, then even if they were able to keep their loss within limits, the nobles of anti-king faction within Mauricia Kingdom would stop cooperating with them.

Even if this was tactically a stupid plan, the choice of all-out attack that Flandre picked was something that he strategically had to take.

「Don’t falter! Advance!」

「Now is the time to raise achievements!」

As expected from Haurelia army that was known as a powerful army.

The fear of the vanguard was suppressed to the minimum and then they immediately turned to counterattack. It was thanks to the skill of the tactical commanders and the soldiers’ proficiency.

「Magician unit, cast a large shield! That flame isn’t anything to fear!」

Flandre was observing the battle situation calmly.

The flamethrower had dealt a painful blow to the magicians, but that was only because they thought the attack came from magic and dealt with it in the wrong way. If they understood that it was some kind of weapon from the beginning, they could deal with it.

Although their number had been reduced, the magicians’ number was still five times more than Antrim’s magicians. There was no worry that the magic shields they casted would be dispelled by Magic Cancel.

「No good, this might be the time for us to pay the piper.」

「Y-you’re joking right? Spare me from that kind of joke, Salil-san!」

Salil whispered that when he saw that the flamethrower that was their last ray of hope was completely blocked by the large shield of the enemy’s magicians. However there was no tone of despair in his voice. Rather it sounded like he was teasing his young coworker.

Salil poked at the forehead of Carlyle who looked like he would break out crying and scolded him.

「Harden your resolve! We can’t let those guys pass even if we die. You also have something that you want to protect right? Then put some strength into your stomach!」

That’s right. He should have people who he wanted to protect even if it cost him his life.

It wasn’t like his fear to death was gone because of that, but Carlyle encouraged himself to fight to the death and grasped his spear.

「……Good. Don’t worry, there is no way that lord doesn’t have any plan to deal with this. We just need to hold out until then.」

「Yes-!」

Haurelia army hid themselves behind the large shields to protect themselves from the flamethrower. They were advancing bit by bit.

Some of them were taken down by crossbow attacks, but it didn’t have much effect to the whole.

「Hmm, I thought that they might still have another hidden trick……」

Flandre watched his soldiers were about to reach the inside of enemy’s encampment while feeling a sense of discomfort because Antrim army was staying silent.

There would be nothing better if they could win just like this but──.

Flandre’s sixth sense was telling him that Antrim still had some trick up their sleeves.

.

「The flame’s fuel is going to run out! What we are using right now is our last!」

「Don’t hold back anything, shower the enemy until the last drop of the fuel!」

Brooks unhesitating words reassured his flustered subordinates and they resumed their work.

If the flame stopped, it was obvious that the enemy’s whole army would charge all at once. Antrim army that was overwhelmingly smaller had no way to stop that.

Furthermore the consumption rate of the fuel surpassed the earlier expectation. Brooks was also breaking into cold sweat in his heart.

(I believe in you, my lord!)

Haurelia army had already fallen into more than half of their traps.

If they could hold back the enemies for just a little bit more, just a little bit more──.

.

「Now then, those guys, all of them have finally entered huh……」

Zirco was smiling faintly while watching the battlefield from some distance away using a telescope.

She and her fellow mercenaries were overlooking the battlefield from above the embankment of Potomac River.

「It’s finally our turn. You guys, don’t let your mind wander okay?」

「Heh heh, those guys are going to be shocked.」

「Even us are going to be unable to stand up if we haven’t heard it beforehand.」

The face of all the mercenaries who were making frivolous talks were filled with bright cheerfulness without exception.

Such expression was completely unexpected when Antrim army was in a distress and just a step away from defeat like this before their eyes.

However, actually it wasn’t Antrim army that was rushing into death, but Haurelia army that was looking like they were in advantage.

「Turn the valveee!」

「Roger!」

Four muscular men moved to turn the huge valve.

The water gate that was set up at the embankment of Potomac River was gradually rising along with the valve’s rotation.

The water gate was opened, at the same time the abundant amount of water from Potomac River flowed out toward the plain.

「It’s too pitiful for those guys, but let’s finish this quickly!」

.

「Your excellency! The water……the water is heading here from Potomac River……!」

「What-?」

Flandre was bewildered. This water attack was unexpected.

Antrim army would also get swallowed if they did something like that.

In addition he knew that the amount of water wasn’t that much. He became increasingly confused by the purpose of this attack.

「W-what? The water’s river is……」

「It’s just a paltry amount like this. Are those guys touched in the head?」

Confusion also spread among the soldiers, but in the end it seemed their morale was heightening instead by the attack’s result.

Although Potomac River was a river with quite a lot of river, it was nothing more than a medium sized river with width around 30 meters.

Even if water from such river with only a single water gate was let out to this plain that was almost flat, the worst it could do was only making the soldiers’ feet wet.

「……This isn’t like the enemy. It might be more effective if they dam up the river upstream and release it.」

This was a foolish mistake for the enemy that had showed something like high-explosive projectile and flamethrower──the sense of discomfort from that mismatch was growing bigger inside Flandre’s chest.

It might be just his feeling, but the force of the flamethrower seemed to grow smaller.

Antrim’s encampment was already right before their eyes. This flow couldn’t be stopped anymore by any half-hearted counterattack.

Even if the enemy still had some kind of hidden card, they would crush all of them in one go.

「All troops! Charge with everything you have!」

The commander of White Dragon Knight Order, Massena Lampard was in high spirits when he heard Flandre’s words.

He spurred his horse forward with a spear in hand to order his subordinate knights to charge forward. His face was warped with a strange smile.

For Massena, Borodino’s death meant that a future rival of his had dropped out of the competition. If he also managed to raise achievements in this battle, the glory that he was aiming for shouldn’t be that far away from his reach.

「Trample them! The enemies have run out of tricks already!」

However──several shadows that blocked the sunlight were flying in the sky.

.

「All troops, brace for impact!」

Salil reflexively pushed down Carlyle and covered him with his body.

Other Antrim soldiers also similarly got down on the ground to brace for impact.

.

「What? What in the world is──」

「Hmph, what can they do at this point with just several more explosions.」

Massena believed that the objects flying in the sky were the same like the explosives that were thrown before this.

Radiant flash and impact assaulted Haurelia army that was bewildered by Antrim army’s sudden strange action.

Without understanding what was going on, Massena also got blown away high in the air by an unreasonably violent wind.

.

*Thud*

Sands sprinkled down on Carlyle’s head, dyeing it pure white. Right in front of him, a knight with splendid ornaments decorating his armor was falling there right at that timing.

The knight was groaning in pain while writhing. It seemed his body was impacted very strongly.

「Brat, that guy is an enemy knight. Put him out of his misery.」

「M-me?」

Carlyle reflexively hesitated. He couldn’t help but feeling guilty to kill a wounded knight who wasn’t even conscious.

「──That guy is most likely dozens of times stronger than you. If you let him off here, you, me, and many of your comrades will get killed by him. Are you fine with that?」

A veteran like Salil knew very well how distressing it was to kill another human for the first time in one’s first battle.

Human killing human was an extreme situation. No matter how trained a soldier was, it was difficult to overcome it.

That was why many new soldiers lost their life in a short time after the battle started.

To obtain such experience from killing an enemy who couldn’t resist was actually a very rare good luck.

「B-but……」

「Just like I told you before, aim at his head or throat. Kill him quickly. Or do you want me to be the one who do it?」

Although Carlyle was bewildered from being told to kill someone for the first time, he wasn’t a man who would be okay with staying in the safe place while making his comrade did the dirty work.

In order to protect his beloved family, in order to protect his comrades who were fighting together with him right now, there was a duty that he had to fulfill. Carlyle was aware that he himself would be the one who couldn’t forgive himself the most if he ran away from that.

Even if by doing that would leave a mark in his soul that wouldn’t vanish for his whole life.

Carlyle trembled with tension and thrust his spear with all his strength.

The spear cut apart the chain mail and pierced the man’s neck until his spinal cord before stabbing deep into the ground.

The knight jerked and his limbs convulsed. Globs of fresh blood spilled out from his mouth and he muttered something.

「Gofuh……im, impos……sible……this……me……is」

Like this, the commander of White Dragon Knight Order, Massena Lampard failed to grasp any glory and had his future taken away wretchedly by a rookie soldier.

.

「This is……different……from the attack before……」

The explosions that happened one after another threw more than half of Haurelia army violently onto the ground. They already lost their ability to fight.

Flandre realized that he already lost any prospect of victory for eternity.

There was no army in all history that could win even after losing half of their number.

「I don’t understand……how can that kind of explosion happen even though there isn’t even any fire?」

.

There was a reason why Antrim’s magicians didn’t use Magic Cancel at all Haurelia army was focusing their magic to cast large shields.

They were pouring all their mana to heat iron until the utmost limit.

The true identity of the mysterious explosions that annihilated Haurelia army was──water vapor explosion.

Water vapor explosion. When melted metal fell into water, it would produce a thin membrane of vapor. When the membrane burst because of the rapid expansion, a chain reaction would occur that resulted in shockwave.

The speed of this expansion and the transformation of vast amount of volume when water vaporized granted a terrifying might to water vapor explosion.

「Get a hold of yourself! The explosion isn’t as strong as it look!」

Flandre’s eyes immediately saw through the true nature of the water vapor explosion.

Unlike the explosive projectile, water vapor explosion didn’t have any shrapnel in it to wound the victims. Despite the energy of the shockwave, the number of the death was few.

But Baldr’s aim wasn’t to simply killing the enemies with water vapor explosion.

「──Fire.」

Next burning oils were thrown.

The burning fat that was used for the flamethrower had been used up, but mere oil was enough against soldiers whose legs were sinking in water.

The fire spread on the water surface along with the oil. The groaning soldiers who were still unable to stand up from the explosions’ impact got swallowed.

「GYAAAAAAH! FIRE-! FIRE IIISSS!」

「Don’t panic! Magicians, calm down and extinguish the fire!」

As expected, the experienced commanders were quick to recover, but their number was too few.

It couldn’t be helped. After all the majority of them weren’t professional military personnel but conscripted peasants.

Because Haurelia army was a huge army that numbered more than 10000, the chaos from water vapor explosion had temporarily robbed the function of their chain of command.

And then the visual terror of flame mercilessly smashed their fighting spirit that had been shaken from the explosion’s shockwave.

「N-no good! RUUUUUNNN!」

「No-! I don’t want to die-!」

An army that had its fighting spirit broken and lost chain of command would turn into a full-scale rout.

At this stage, only a hero from a myth would be able to rally back the army into fighting shape.

What worsened the situation was that even when a huge army that numbered more than 10000 tried to run away, the confused soldiers would get in each other’s way. Even their effort to escape wouldn’t go as they hoped.

Right at that timing, there were silhouettes that sneaked to the rear of Haurelia army even if their number was extremely few.

「Now then, looks like there is a fun party over there!」

Zirco poured strength into her large body with a wide smile.

「BLOW THEM AWAYYYYYY!」

Zirco’s magically strengthened body rushed forward like an arrow that was fired from a bow that was drawn to its limit.

The soldiers that were standing along the line of Zirco’s dash got bisected into two like ragged clothes.

「HIIIIIIIH! MONSTER!」

「The path of escape……the path of escape is blocked!」

「Ha-haaaaaa! There are monsters at the left and right!」

Zirco and the elite mercenaries were at their element when they tore at the defenseless rear of Haurelia army.

Water vapor explosion, burning oil, and then an ambush──it would be impossible for any army to maintain their organization in front of this combined terror.

「Is Viscount Antrim a demon……can you, can you really call something like this a battle-!?」

Flandre was enraged with a trembling voice.

Haurelia army’s defeat was already beyond doubt. He could even praise the enemy, well done.

However, he didn’t know about this kind of battle. No, he absolutely couldn’t accept this kind of battle as a warrior.

Generals and soldiers were just like rubbish in this battlefield, their skills and morale didn’t matter the least bit, everything was decided by the might of unidentifiable suspicious items. What kind of worth a warrior who had lived until now with a single spear had in such battlefield?

「Commander-in-chief, please retreat.」

Flandre was pulled back into reality by the low voice of a man who had hardened his resolve.

(Retreat──you say?)

He didn’t have any face to run away at this point. Flandre’s body trembled with new fury and he glared at the owner of the voice.

The commander of Black Dragon Knight Order, Lannes Bernard was standing upright there.

「You sir should be the one to gather the soldier and retreat. I intend to fight to the last as the rear guard.」

「──Even if that choice will lead Haurelia Kingdom to ruin?」

「What?」

Lannes’s calm words took Flandre completely by surprise.

「A mediocre warrior like me can’t possible explain what just happened. However this is the only thing that I understand. If that thing spread out through the whole Mauricia and our country is unable to deal with that, then there will only be ruin for Haurelia Kingdom.」

Flandre held his breath at Lannes’s tone that stabbed into his heart.

He didn’t want to admit it, he couldn’t possibly accept this kind of battle. Such feeling hadn’t changed but, what Lannes said was certainly true.

「I can’t possibly inform his majesty just what in the world has happened and what should we do to deal with it. General Flandre, you are the only one who can do that.」

Lannes was calm and composed even though he had resolved himself to fight to the death here. He was the embodiment of a true warrior that Haurelia could boast to the whole world.

Flandre gritted his teeth at his powerlessness that he had to sacrifice such person in this place.

「I won’t let your death to go to waste. I shall guarantee sir’s honor even if it cost me my life.」

「Those words are wasted on me.」

Lannes who always had a sullen face that made anyone wondered just what in the world was tormenting him was smiling brightly right now.

Flandre swore in his heart that he would never forget this clear smiling face for his whole life.

He also couldn’t die no matter what until he took revenge to that hateful Viscount Antrim.

After making such determination, Flandre immediately turned around.

「I’ll leave the Black Dragon Knight Order to you! We are retreating! Prioritize the reorganization of the militias!」

.

「──We’re going out. Crush them all so that they won’t think of coming back here for the second time!」

Baldr and his elites rushed out all at once almost at the same time when Haurelia army decided to retreat.

「Let out your battle cry-! Follow the lord!」

Cyril encouraged the soldiers who had been quietly enduring at the encampment until now.

The soldiers’ pent-up anger that had been continuously piled up until now exploded and they yelled in jubilation at the premonition of their victory.

「UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!」

.

Salil hugged the shoulders of Carlyle who was trembling from the sensation of killing someone for the first time. He then pulled back his hand with a bitter smile.

「Looks like we win. With this you also got some achievement to your name.」

「N-no way……I was just doing what Salil-san told me……」

「Yes, moving as you are told is a soldier’s job. You can leave things like responsibility or guild to the lord.」

No matter how dense Carlyle was, he at least understood that Salil was concerned with him.

Most likely he wouldn’t be able to forget that he had killed someone today, but Carlyle decided to believe that he wasn’t mistaken.

Baldr and Salil made him able to believe that.

「Now let’s go. We still got one more work waiting.」

「Yes-!」

Although the momentum was at their side, Antrim army was still a small army of a thousand and several hundred troops. They were almost equal in number with the troops of Black Dragon Knight Order that received the role as the rear guard.

Furthermore the knight order was fully composed from professional soldiers. They were able to rally themselves quickly from the confusion of defeat.

「──Don’t fear death. A single life of ours will become the salvation for ten of our allies. Right now is the time for us knights to bloom beautifully!」

「Let the flowers bloom above our corpses!」

The majority of the knight order members had wounds somewhere on their body. However they were resolved to die and the height of their morale pierced the sky.

『Good man, I see a true warrior before me.』

Sanai’s voice of admiration spontaneously leaked out from Baldr’s mouth seeing the splendid resolve of the rearguard.

But he couldn’t spend all his time admiring them.

Their figures that were resolved to die were beautiful. Because of that beauty, they were terrifying enemies that had to be defeated without being picky of the method to do so.

「Lit up the explosives!」

Baldr and his men lit the fuses of explosives in ceramic containers. Its size was far smaller compared to the one that was thrown using catapult. Then all of them threw the explosives all at once without mercy.

Crimson flowers bloomed once more at the battlefield that was still smoldering from the oil’s fire.

The knights were mowed down by the blast and shrapnel. Their formation was crumbling regardless of their effort.

「The target is the knight order’s commander! All troops, chargeeeee!」

A knight order with high loyalty──the knight order’s commander should be acting as the center foundation of that tight bond.

The commander was most likely a veteran knight with matured skill. As long as he could be defeated, even his subordinates who didn’t fear death would break down mentally. If their heart was broken, even soldiers who had resolved themselves to die would be unable to display strength that surpassed their limit. They would be reduced into mere soldiers.

「……You’re very knowledgeable about war. I can’t believe that this is the command of a youth in his first battle.」

Lannes was astonished by the harmony of Antrim army’s attack and Baldr’s capability in deciding to accurately charge right at him. He was feeling a mysterious sensation, as though he was facing a general who was even more veteran than himself.

「Don’t stop! Run with everything you have and throw them into chaos!」

Of course Baldr wasn’t actually that composed.

More than half of Antrim army were soldiers without battle experience. The strategy of ordering the troops to focus on distracting the enemies until the few elites could bring down the knight order’s commander was only natural.

Baldr, Brooks, and Nelson along with few other elites weaved their way through the jumbled enemies and allies to advanced deeper and deeper.

It didn’t take them that much time until they reached Lannes who was calmly holding his spear at the ready.

「I take it that you are the lord commander?」

Lannes who was asked by Baldr was shocked when he realized that the young man in front of him was Viscount Antrim. This youth was even younger, childish than he expected.

「Indeed. Are you the lord of Antrim?」

「Correct. Although inexperienced, I shall receive your head!」

「I am the commander of Black Dragon Knight Order, Lannes Bernard. Don’t think that I will give you my head so easily!」

With that shout, Lannes swung his spear like a storm.

His spearmanship was logical to the end. His advanced age couldn’t be felt from his movement. It showed how much diligent training he had accumulated until now.

Baldr didn’t feel any genius talent from Lannes like from Borodino, but he was instantly cornered to one-sided defense.

『Elderly is awfully strong when they art resolved to die.』

Flesh body would wither along with age. However sometimes elderly who was resolved to die would break their limit and went into rampage by making use of their vast experience.

Oniniwa Satsuki of Date Clan who was famous from the Battle of Hitotoribashi was a good example of that.

But, breaking the limit meant ignoring the tolerable upper limit of the body. It wasn’t something so simple that it could continue forever.

It was like the large flicker of a candle’s flame that happened for a short moment when it was about to burn out.

It would be regrettable to make this old knight exposed the ugliness of old age like a puppet with broken spring.

This old man had to be killed while he could still fight. Sanai decided that in his heart as though it was only natural.

『My bad sonny, but I wouldst borrow yer body.』

Lannes would lose disappointingly easily if Baldr used magic like at his battle with Borodino.

Old man was terribly weak against new technique that they had never experienced before.

But Sanai didn’t want to kill Lannes with that kind of method.

『──Oka Echigo no Kami Sadatoshi, I shall be yer opponent.』

Baldr’s spear handling turned fierce as though he had been switched with someone else. Lannes’s eyes widened in wonderment.

A sympathy that could only be felt by a fighter was telling him. His opponent was a warrior with even greater experience than him.

「To face a worthy enemy is just what I wish for.」

Lannes didn’t even try to think what was the meaning of this change he felt.

To be able to fight with his whole body and soul at the end of his life like this was more precious than anything else.

If possible, he wanted to keep exchanging blow like this forever──.

『Ura Awase Niban, Hari KaeshiSecond Back to Back, Needle Reversal』Lannes’s spear thrust toward Sanai’s chest. Sanai used the butt of his spear to pin down the thrust, then he used the recoil from striking down the spear to swing down from above with centrifugal force added on the strike.

This counter that came in the form of a swing instead of a thrust couldn’t be dodged with Lannes’s reaction speed.

Lannes immediately put up his left hand on the way of the spear. That hand was pulverized and Sanai’s spear struck on top of Lannes’s shoulder.

The sound of bone breaking and flesh tearing told Lannes that the time of bliss had ended.

Mustering his last strength, Lannes’s trembling knees didn’t fall on the ground and he held his head high.

「I’m proud that you sir are my last opponent in this life.」

An old warrior who earned a place to die in battlefield was extraordinarily beautiful.

How very magnificent. And how very enviable.

It might be the foolish emotion of Sanai who lost his place to die and died on his bed.

Without realizing it, tears spilled out from Sanai’s eyes. His gaze was fixed upon Lannes’s bright smile.

『Absolutely magnificent, magnificent indeed!』

And then──Sanai stabbed Lannes’s heart with a roar that sounded as though he was spitting out blood.

.

Part 6

The beginning of hostilities that later on would be called as Second Antrim War closed its curtain for the time being with Antrim’s complete victory.

Great General Flandre displayed a splendid command and led his troops to a swift retreat. Even so he lost about half of his troops.

The only salvation was that the number of death was few although the number of wounded was a lot.

The magician unit was damaged the most and they were practically annihilated. Even when the survivors were gathered, they couldn’t function as a unit with how far their fighting strength had dropped.

Perhaps it would be possible to recover the troops until around 70% if they gathered the wounded and the fleeing soldiers, but now that war had started, they had no leeway remaining to do that.

Flandre readied himself to be showered in thousands of curses and execution at the capital while continuing to take command of the army’s retreat solemnly.